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Author Notes: Here's a mustard-aioli first cousin to the canape recipe using slice hard cooked eggs, lime aioli and dukkah I've also posted here. (This one is a bit more picnic friendly because the aioli relies solely on mustard and roasted garlic, and not raw egg yolk, for its emulsion.) The dukkah, an Egyptian dipping spice blend, provides a bright burst of flavor with the slightest bit of crunch. I discovered dukkah, and the brilliant suggestion to use it with eggs, in Arabella Boxer’s interesting and helpful resource, “The Spice Book.” I like her combination of spices, but have tinkered significantly with the proportions, and I use pumpkin seeds or pepitas instead of the more traditional hazelnuts or roasted garbanzos. Feel free to use those instead, of course, if you prefer. The recipe makes a bit more dukkah than you’ll need even for a dozen eggs, deviled. Sprinkle it on hummus, or a fried egg, for a real treat. Enjoy!! ;o) - AntoniaJames —AntoniaJames

Food52 Review: AntoniaJames' Dukkah Deviled Eggs lived up to expectations—they were the hit of the Fourth of July BBQ! Her version of dukkah, prepared with freshly toasted pepitas, cumin, coriander and seasame seeds, elevates this dish to new levels and will henceforth be replacing pedestrian paprika in many of our our own recipes! We prepared the deviled eggs both ways, with 2-to-1 mix of quality mayo and Dijon mustard, and with AJ's roasted garlic-mustard-oil aioli. We preferred AJ's version, although we did not need as much oil as called for to create it. Sadly, there were no leftovers or we would have had AMAZING egg salad sandwiches the following day! —wssmom

Makes 2 dozen egg halves

The Deviled Eggs -- Makes 2 dozen egg halves

12 hard cooked eggs, cooled, peeled and halved, lengthwise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 large cloves roasted garlic, or 2 medium cloves, minced

Tiny pinch of salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil

Dukkah, to taste (see recipe below)

To make the aioli, mash the garlic with a tiny pinch of salt. This is best done with a pestle. If using raw garlic and you can easily make a paste using the side of a large knife, do that instead. Either way, remember that the dukkah has salt in it, so you don’t need much in the aioli.

Add the mustard and beat well. Whisk in a few drops of olive oil, and then a few more, and then a few more after that, briskly beating with a whisk all the while. When it starts to thicken a bit, add a light stream of oil, whisking continuously until all of both types of oil is incorporated.

Remove the egg yolks from the halved eggs. If you want the filling very smooth, press the yolks through a mesh strainer. If you don’t care one way or the other, just mash them well with the back of a fork.

Add aioli to taste and beat well. I use a fork to do this. I find that a heaping ½ teaspoon per half egg generally works well, but add more or less as you please.

Fill the hollows in the egg white halves with a nice mound of filling. Then sprinkle generously with dukkah.

Chill well – at least three or four hours -- before taking to your outdoor event

Prepare for compliments and effusive thanks from people who don’t get devilled eggs as often as they’d like.

Enjoy!! ;o)

NB: If you’re not inclined to make aioli, a good mayonnaise mixed in a two to one ratio with Dijon or stoneground brown mustard works well, too.

The Dukkah -- Makes a bit more than 1/4 cup

2 tablespoons raw pepitas or pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds

1 ½ teaspoons good black peppercorns or grains of paradise (When using black pepper, I like a bold Malabar for this, but Tellicherry will also do just fine.)

1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, or more to taste

Toast the pepitas or pumpkin seeds in a small heavy skillet until they just start to darken and release their fragrance. Remove immediately from the pan and allow them to cool a bit.

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds, each in turn, in the same skillet, removing from the pan as soon as they start to darken. Do not tarry, as they can burn easily in the hot pan, even when removed from the stove.

Toast the sesame seeds in the same skillet, shaking periodically to make sure they brown evenly. Remove when they start to darken just a bit.

Grind the pepitas in a spice mill to a coarse powder. Don’t worry if there are a few larger pieces. Remove from the mill and put into a medium bowl

Grind the spices together until fine, and then add to the bowl with the ground pepitas.

Grind the peppercorns coarsely and add to the bowl.

Add the sesame seeds and salt and stir well until the blend is thoroughly combined.

Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. It should hold for several weeks at least, depending on the freshness of the pepitas and sesame seeds.

Whenever I go to someone's house for a party or dinner, they ask me to make deviled eggs so I was very excited to try this recipe. While the dukkah was spectacular, I found the amounts given to make the aioli mixture weren't quite enough for the 12 egg yolks. I added more but it still wasn't quite right so I just put in some mayo and it was fine. I'm sure I did something wrong as WSSMOM'S testing notes say she didn't need as much oil as the recipe called for. So I'm kinda confused. But yum was had by all and EVERYONE went nuts over the dukkah.